Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Doctors, government stick to their stands

Thiruvananthapuram: Even as speculation is rife that the State government is in the process of working out some solution to end the ongoing stir by government doctors, both the parties have reiterated that there will not be any change in their stance.

Health Secretary Vishwas Mehta told presspersons here on Thursday that “as of now, pay-scale revision is non-negotiable.”

The Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) made it clear that it was not prepared to budge from its demand for revision of pay scales at the entry cadre. It was not for plentiful allowances for senior doctors.

The government and the association have said that they are not interested in a confrontation.

However, while Dr. Mehta said that the government was waiting for a positive move from the doctors, a KGMOA spokesperson said the ball was in the government’s court.

“We cannot let this fight go now because we never got a good deal in the last three pay revisions. If we do not get our pay scales revised now, doctors do not stand a chance at the next pay revision. In the next four years, when the next pay revision is due, more than 1,000 doctors will retire from Health Services and there will not be even anyone left to put up a fight,” Sunny P. Orathel, president of KGMOA, said.

Dr. Mehta maintained that the government had agreed to the majority of demands put forth by doctors and that it was the KGMOA which was not willing for a compromise.

“The government has said that under the package the Cabinet has approved, it will incur a financial burden of Rs. 25 crore through the hike given in the allowances of senior doctors.

The KGMOA’s stand is that the senior doctors are willing to forgo the allowances. The government can instead, divert this money to revise the pay scale at the entry cadre,” Dr. Sunny said.

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